Precious Choices
by Alice Lupin
Summary: Hermione receives a letter signed 'Prince Not-so-charming' asking her to meet him. Should she go? And if she does, what will be the consequences of her actions?


_Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. Song: White Horse by Taylor Swift. Rated M for a reason!_

**Precious Choices**

Hermione Jean Granger was late. That didn't happen often. She was Head Girl. She should not have been late, especially this close to the end of the year and finals! Why was she late? She had received a letter last night from an unknown sender. It had left her tossing and turning all night after reading it at least 10 times. She thought of it now as she hurried to class.

_Dearest Hermione,  
I have a slight problem. I can't stop thinking about you, you see. This would be fine, if I wasn't who I am. Being who am I, means we can never be tighter, and I think this is what frustrates me the most._

_I have come to a decision, however. Perhaps if I can see you, my obsession with you will dissolve. We see each other every day, have several classes together even, but we have never been able to see each other in private, away from prying eyes._

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement at 10pm tomorrow night._

_Eagerly awaiting our meeting,  
Prince Not-so-charming_

Prince Not-so-charming? What kind of nickname was that? And should she? Meet him tonight? It could be a trick. She thought about this as she sat down in Defense Against the Dark Arts between her best friends. Harry Potter was the worlds savior. He had jet black hair and bright green eyes covered by round glasses. Ron Weasley had helped immensely in the battle at the beginning of the year, as had she. He had red hair and blue eyes and a face covered in freckles. Seconds later, Professor Remus Lupin came striding in. She sighed, glad she had made it to class before him. She dutifully, took out a piece of parchment, a quill and ink and began taking down notes.

15 minutes into class another parchment appeared on top of her notes. It read;

_Will you come tonight, Hermione?  
-Prince Not-so-charming_

She considered the question before replying: **Tell me who you really are, and I'll consider it.**

The reply came seconds later:_ I'm not telling you who I am._

**Then I won't come.**

_Why not?_

**Because I have no idea who you are and I don't trust you.**

_If you don't know who I am, how do you know if you trust me or not?_

**I don't trust anyone who won't even tell me their name.**

_Come tonight, you won't regret it._

**Tell me your name.**

_Hermione… Please? I need you to know who I am but I can't tell you through these parchments. Do something spontaneous. You have my word that I won't hurt you._

**I'll think about it.**

_Keep this parchment with you. You can let me know when you decide._

All of the writing vanished, and no more came. Did she want to go? The answer was immediate. Yes. She had to know who this was. The mystery was driving her crazy.

_Say you're sorry  
That face of an angel comes out  
Just when you need it to  
As I pace back and forth all this time  
'Cause  
I honestly believed in you  
Holdin' on,  
The days drag on  
Stupid girl  
I should've known, I should've known_

Hermione headed to the Room of Requirement that night dressed in a green halter top and black jeans, hair pulled up into a ponytail. She reached the hallway and saw a door at the end of it. Walking down the hall quickly, she pushed open the door. She expected to find the mystery person there since she had told him a good 5 hours ago that she would come but he was nowhere to be seen.

She sighed and headed to the couch. She found a piece of parchment on the table infront of her with the same handwriting from the parchment and her letter. She picked it up and studied the script. It was neat and precise with a hint of elegance. She quickly read the letter.

_Dearest Hermione,  
If you get here before I get back, please make yourself comfortable. I will be back momentarily. In the meantime, Please read through this poem. I wrote it. Yes, I write poetry. Most wouldn't expect it from me. It kind of a description of my feelings for you._

_Broken pieces  
Of a shattered life  
Trying to pick it all up  
But not sure how_

_The one woman I want  
Is the one I cant have  
And the one I feel safe with  
I have no feelings for_

_They say for every one  
With a broken heart  
Theres someone  
Who can fix it_

_So now im thinking  
Why cant that someone be you?_

_Why cant it be you  
You drive me insane  
But no matter how hard I try  
I cant get you out of my head._

_Why cant it be you  
You can piss me off to no end  
And yet still  
I can't stop thinking of you_

_Broken pieces  
Of a shattered life  
Just wondering if maybe  
You'd help me pick it up?_

_  
Signed,  
D_

Hermione sighed. So his name started with a 'D'? Well, that didn't help. Though it certainly made her consider leaving. Bloody hell, what if it was Malfoy? She would feel like an idiot. She had harbored feelings for him for a while now but always shoved it off as pointless. No way would he be interested in the Gryffindor Mudblood. He was Head Boy this year. It was hard to ignore him, and her feelings, while living in the same dormitories with him. She sighed, folded up the parchment and stuck it in her back pocket then leaned back against the couch and stared into the fire.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the guy coming into the room with a bouquet of roses and lilies. He smiled, ran a pale hand through his platinum blonde locks, and smoothed down his robes. He walked over behind her and handed the flowers to her, staying behind her. She took the flowers and turned around to face Draco Malfoy.

_That I'm not a princess  
This ain't a fairytale  
I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet  
Lead her up the stairwell  
This ain't Hollywood,  
This is a small town  
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down  
Now its too late for you and your White Horse,  
To come around._

"Malfoy?" She said, shocked. "It was you?!" Draco nodded. "I'm leaving." She set the flowers down on the table and tried to head towards the door, determined not to be made a fool of. No one could know how she felt. He stepped in front of her as she came around the couch.

"Hermione, stop," He said, reaching out and grabbing her arms. She ignored the heat coming from his hands and shook him off, glaring at him. "I really do just want to get to know you." He said quickly. "I'm trying to trick you or anything. What I wrote in those letters… It's all true." She kept glaring at him, but finally she turned on her heal and sat back down.

"You have one hour." She told Draco. He sat down quickly.

"I'm not sure when it started. But I can't get you off my mind. I mean, I dream about you, for Merlin's sake!" He sighed. "I thought maybe, if we actually talked, I could convince myself that we couldn't be together."

"So I'm an experiment?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"No! I just… need to stop thinking about you. I'm due to be married a year after Graduation. It's an arranged marriage but still. I don't think it would be good to be married to one person and be thinking about another. And since Graduation is less than 2 months away, I don't know if I'll ever see you again."

"At least you have a bit of a conscience." Hermione replied. He sighed.

"If you're not going to take this seriously then you can leave." He nodded his head towards the door.

"I'm sorry. It's just a little unbelievable." She replied, not getting up. Some part of her hoped that his letters were right while the other part was screaming at her that he was going to embarrass her.

"How should I prove it to you?" He seemed to be talking to himself rather than her. Before she could answer, he grinned. She had never seen him actually smile before and she couldn't help but notice the cute dimples in his cheeks. Before she could react, his lips where pressed against hers, moving, trying to get her to kiss back. She stood shocked until giving into her body and kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands came to rest on her waist.

They both got lost in the kiss as if nothing else mattered. A kiss that felt both completely right and completely forbidden. No one would ever accept this. The Slytherin, pureblood prince with the Gryffindor, Mudblood princess? I was a ridiculous idea. Yet the moment their lips touched, it felt right. She didn't notice his hand finding the bottom of her shirt, and by the time he pulled it off, she didn't care what happened nor could she stop it if she tried. Everywhere his hands traveled, he left behind a trail of heat that was going straight between her thighs.

Draco knew right where this was heading. He had known the second she had kissed back. After pulling her shirt off, he picked her up and tossed her on the bed that had appeared behind them, never breaking the kiss. He shivered as her hands traveled under his black tshirt. She pushed the heavy black, casual robes off his shoulders and then pulled the shirt up and over his head, breaking the kiss for a second.

Breaking their kisses didn't slow them down. His hands went directly to her waist to unbutton the jeans she wore and push them down her hips. After pulling her jeans off he pushed her up to the top of the bed and pulled the blankets up over them. She fumbled with the belt on his jeans until finally pushing them down. He kicked them off on to the floor and rolled over on top of her.

_Maybe I was naïve,  
Got lost in your eyes  
I never really had a chance.  
My mistake I didnt know to be in love  
you had to fight to have the upper hand.  
I had so many dreams about you and me  
Happy endings;  
Now I know_

With all the self-control he had, he tore his mouth from hers and looked down at her. It amazed him, the feeling swelling in his chest. He had no idea what it was, nor what to call it, nor did he care at this moment. He would figure it out later.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes," She said immediately.

"So you're not going to regret this?" She shook her head. "Why?"

"Because you're not the only one who has secret feelings. I've had feelings for you for a while. But I thought it was impossible."

"It is impossible. We can't ever really be together."

"I know. But I want one night with you."

"Have you ever done it before?" He asked, kissing her again.

"No." She whispered.

"I'll be gentle." Draco told her before pushing inside of her.

She squeezed her eyes shut as pain shot through her. Draco hovered over her, not moving an inch. He kissed her hard, trying to take her attention away from the pain. It faded quickly, leaving behind a faint tingle. When he looked down at her again, she nodded. He started slowly, trying not to hurt her. When she began making noises of pleasure, he picked up the pace. She came quickly, tensing around him and he followed soon after.

He carefully lowered himself down on top of her before gathering her up and turning to lie on his side. He kissed her forehead and they drifted off to sleep.

Hermione woke the next morning and turned to wake up Draco.

But he was already gone.

_I'm not a princess  
This ain't a fairytale  
I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet  
Lead her up the stairwell  
This ain't Hollywood,  
This is a small town  
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down.  
Now its too late for you and your White Horse,  
To come around._

The days passed and Hermione saw less and less of Draco. He seemed to be avoiding her. It was probably a way to get rid of his feelings for her. She vaguely wondered if it was working at all. As for Hermione, her feelings for him hadn't dimmed at all. If anything, they had grown. He'd been gentle and sweet with her, something no one ever saw with him.

Graduation was less than a month away. Hermione took her N.E.W.T.s and couldn't wait to get her results. Everyone assured her that she would pass everything with flying colors but as always she doubted her own abilities.

A week before Graduation, she was on her way to the Great Hall for lunch when the site in front of her made her freeze in mid-step. Draco sat on the couch with Astoria Greengrass on his lap. The way they were kissing reminded Hermione of the night they spent together. The thought made her stomach lurch and she shot back up the stairs and into the bathroom to empty her stomach. A few moments later, she felt a hand pull her hair back and another rub her back. She finished vomiting and flushed the toilet. She glanced up to see Draco holding her hair back and her stomach lurched again as she thought of that night. Thankfully though, she was done puking.

"Thanks," She said quietly.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He told her. She shrugged and tried to stand up. She wobbled and almost fell but Draco quickly caught her. She pushed him away just as quickly and he sighed. "I'm sorry, ok? She's the one I have to marry in a year. I'd like to at least date the person I'm going to marry for a while."

"It doesn't matter." She said quickly. "We had one night. It doesn't matter. It didn't mean anything. It was just a series of bad choices." She was trying to convince herself of this as well as him.

"It did matter." He said. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. "It meant the world to me. But we can't be together. Trust me. If it was my choice, I'd be with you, not Astoria." She stepped back and hurried out of the bathroom. She ran to the Great Hall and stopped outside to compose herself and force the tears away.

_  
And there you are on your knees  
Begging for forgiveness,  
Begging for me  
Just like I always wanted,  
But I'm so sorry_

Graduation went off without a hitch and Hermione received her O.W.L.s. She received all Exceeds Expectations in every subject, of course. Her, Harry and Ron all went down to sign up for the Auror training program and they were to receive letters stating whether they would be accepted or not. She was staying at the Burrow, home of the Weasley's, when their letters arrived. The three eagerly opened up their letters and read through them quickly.

_Dear Ms. Hermione Granger,_

_We regret to inform you that you have not been accepted into the Auror Training Program due to some problems with your physical examination._

Hermione was shocked to say the least. What in the world could have been wrong with her physical? She had been able to do just as much as Harry and Ron. She continued reading and her heart sank. She ran up the stairs and collapsed on the bed in the room she was staying in.

She was pregnant. It had to be Draco's. He was he only one she had ever slept with. She turned over and stared at the ceiling. Should she tell him? Would he care? Would it matter how he felt? He was being forced to marry someone he didn't want to. She didn't doubt that if he found out he would be forced to stay away from her. She had to tell Harry, Ron and Ginny, Ron's sister and Harry's girlfriend. They would ask questions about why she hadn't been accepted. Sighing, she got up and went downstairs.

"I need to talk to you guys," She said after finding Harry, Ron and Ginny sitting outside. She sat down with them and laughed into her story. "…And now I'm pregnant. But it doesn't matter because, like I knew before, we can't be together." He voice cracked as she finished her story and she fought back her tears.

"So… You slept with Malfoy?" Harry asked slowly. She nodded and wiped away a few tears that had escaped.

"Hermione! Are you stupid?" Ron yelled. She had expected this from him but it still made her flinch.

"Ron! Not now!" Ginny yelled back at him. She scooted over and sat next to Hermione and rubbed her back. "It's okay 'Mione." She said gently. Hermione started crying in earnest. "It was just a bad choice. Unfortunatly, you'll have to deal with it for the rest of your life, but, we'll ALL be here for you." She said, glaring at the two boys. "Won't we?" Harry and Ron nodded immediately. Hermione gave a watery smile.

"Thanks guys."

_Cause Im not your princess  
This aint a fairytale  
Im gonna find someone, Some day  
Who might actually treat me well.  
This is a big world,  
That was a small town  
There in my rearview mirror,  
Disappearing now.  
And it's too late for you and your White Horse,  
Now its too late for you and your White Horse  
To catch me now._

8 months later, screams could be heard echoing through a room in St. Mungo's as Hermione Granger gave birth to her daughter. She was 3.13Kg and 48.26cm with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Rose Marie Granger looked just like her father, Draco Adrian Malfoy. Hermione stroked the side of her daughters face as she slept.

The decisions she made that night before Graduation weren't bad choices, she realized. She loved Rose more than anything and those choices had led to Rose's birth.

_Oh whoa whoa whoa-oh  
Try and catch me now  
Whoa-Oh  
It's too late  
To catch me now._

"Precious choices," Hermione whispered. "Precious choices led to your birth, Rose." She softly kissed the baby's forehead. "You and me against the world baby."

***************

_This was just a quick one-shot, song-fic that was floating about my head. However, due to requests for a sequel, I will be posting a story entitled 'A Lifetime of Choices'. It will be written from Draco's Point of View. Hope you all enjoyed this story and look for the sequel soon.  
-Alice Lupin_


End file.
